HITTING THE OREGON TRAIL: The Washington State volleyball team, 8-12 overall, 1-6 in Pacific-10 Conference action, goes on the road to take on Oregon State and Oregon this weekend...this is one of the few weekends in Pac-10 action the Cougars do not play a nationally ranked team...the Beavers, 6-7, 2-5, host WSU in a 7 p.m. match Friday, Oct. 21 at Gill Coliseum in Corvallis...this is a Fox Sports Net match and will be shown tape-delayed basis, with most broadcasts the next day...the Ducks, 10-8, 0-7, meet the Cougs Saturday, Oct. 22, in a 7 p.m. contest at McArthur Court.

COUGAR VOLLEYBALL ON TELEVISION: The WSU - Oregon State match at Corvallis, Oct. 21, is the sole Cougar match to be broadcast on Fox Sports Net this season...Chris McGee and Holly McPeak are the announcers...match can be viewed nationally on a tape-delayed basis, check your local Fox Sports station for broadcast dates and times.

OCTOBER MEANS THE ABC CAMPAIGN: Cougar volleyball and the Breast Cancer Support Group of the Palouse, known as the Bosom Buddies, have joined together for the Attacking Breast Cancer (ABC) Pledge Drive for the fourth consecutive year...October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the Cougar players will be collecting monetary pledges for each attack which results in a kill (and a point) for WSU during the 11 matches this month...a total of $1,645.80 was collected in 2004, $1,623.35 in 2003, and $1,019 in 2002...players wear pink ribbons to draw attention to the campaign...interested donors may contact the WSU volleyball office at 509-335-0277.

WATCH COACH HEFFERNAN: Every Tuesday afternoon during the volleyball season, beginning at 1:20 p.m. PT, WSU Head Coach Brian Heffernan is part of the teleconference with a LIVE video broadcast on the WSU internet site of www.wsucougars.com.

TUNE IN FOR COUGAR VOLLEYBALL ON RADIO AND INTERNET: Cougar volleyball fans can listen to all the road contests during the 2005 season LIVE - in the Palouse on KRPL-AM radio (1400AM) and on the Internet at www.wsucougars.com (click on the audio/video link, go to College Sports Pass subscription information at top of page)...JJ Jensen is the voice of Cougar volleyball radio broadcasts (second year).

ABOUT OREGON STATE BEAVERS (6-7, 2-5) - OSU has scored wins against Arizona State (3-2) and Oregon (3-0)...Beavers are 1-2 at home this season...OSU is led by 6-0 junior MB Brittany Cahoon (3.05 kpg, .289, 1.10 bpg - 9th Pac-10), Karah Rhodes (2.74 dpg) and Desma Stovall (8.56 apg - 8th Pac-10)...in team stats, OSU is ahead of WSU in kills (13.41 kpg) and hitting percentage (.202)...Head Coach Terry Liskevych (first year at OSU; 271-92, 9 years career)...LAST TIME - Oregon State won 3-0 at Corvallis, Oct. 29, 2004 (30-21, 30-27, 30-18)...SERIES RECORD - WSU leads 38-29...OSU has won the past four meetings with WSU's last win coming in 2002 at Corvallis.

BLOCKING, BLOCKING, BLOCKING: After 20 matches, the Cougars have a 3.48 blocks per game average which is the best of the Pac-10 schools...three players average more than one block per game and have played in at least 51 of WSU's 71 games: Natalia Owens (1.37 bpg), Jen Barcus (1.37 bpg) and Brittany Johnson (1.00 bpg)...Te'Ara Epps (1.42 bpg) has played in 33 games...WSU's 2004 average was 2.35 bpg...2004 national champions Stanford had a 3.32 bpg average. NATIONAL ATTENDANCE: Hawai'i continues it domination of the nation in volleyball attendance with an average of 7,247 in the 13 home matches of 2005...the highest ranked Pac-10 school is Washington with 2,377 fans in six home matches (8th)...Washington State has a nine-match average of 787 fans, including the 1,478 fans at the WSU-UW match Sept. 23.

HOW ABOUT THOSE COUGS?
#13 Jen Barcus (6-1, MB, Jr, Nine Mile Falls, Wash.) Three-year starter...named to UC Davis Aggie Invite All-Tournament Team...named to SLU Billikens Classic All-Tournament Team...leading the team with 3.23 kpg and .313 hitting percentage...in 3-1 win over Arizona State, reached career-high 22 kills, hit .333 and had seven blocks...in 3-2 win at Saint Louis had 19 kills (.548), nine blocks, one ace and three digs...tied for third in Pac-10 at 1.37 blocks per game with teammate Natalia Owens...career-high 12 digs versus UC Davis...16 kills, no errors on 35 attacks for .457 against Gonzaga...four aces at EWU...double-figure kills in 12 of 18 matches...five or more blocks in 11 matches...in WSU career standings ninth in career solo blocks (36), career block assists (286) and total blocks (322)...did not play in matches Oct. 13 and 14 due to viral infection.

#3 Gwen Davis (6-0, S, RS-Jr, Walla Walla, Wash.) First year playing at WSU...49 assists and 15 digs against UC Davis...six blocks including three solos versus Toledo...six kills, 16 digs and four aces in Buffalo win...career-high 51 assists in win at Gonzaga...second on team with service ace average of 0.30 sapg...assists per game average of 8.44 is ninth Pac-10 standings.

#9 Natalia Owens (6-1, MB, Sr, Lima, Peru) Named to UC Davis Aggie Invite All-Tournament Team...against UC Davis landed 16 kills (.357), three aces, 26 digs and 12 blocks...named to Baden Cougar Challenge All-Tournament Team...landed high of 19 kills in 3-1 Buffalo win...had six double-doubles with kills and digs this season...1.37 bpg is tied for third in Pac-10 with teammate Jen Barcus...3.03 kpg and 4.03 points per game are second on team.

#4 Jalen Pendon (5-8, OH, Fr, Spanaway, Wash.) Enrolled at WSU in January 2005...starting libero...averaging 4.58 digs per game which is third-best in Pac-10...tied school record with 34 digs in 3-1 win over ASU...had 26 digs came in 3-2 win at Saint Louis...landed three aces in Portland...reached double-figure digs in 18 of 20 matches to date with season total of 325 digs...needs 42 more digs to tie for 10th in WSU single-season records.

#22 Maureen Perez (5-8, S, So, Vancouver, Wash.) Transfer from Central Florida University...sometimes combines with Gwen Davis to run a 6-2 offense...had 14 digs against Idaho State...during second game of Idaho match, caught a teammate's elbow in face and had stitches and a swollen, black left eye for a week...contributed 18 assists in both Oakland and Saint Louis wins...averaging 4.55 assists per game and 1.68 digs per game in 44 games.

#14 Kelly Rosin (6-1, OH, Jr, Springfield, Ore.) Three-year starter...nailed 18 kills and four blocks versus Gonzaga...season-high six blocks in win over Oral Roberts...2.30 kpg and 2.93 points per game are third highest on team....10 kills and 10 digs in Gonzaga 9/24 match...landed another 10 kills against No. 17 USC.

#16 Kelly Russell (6-0, OH/MB, Fr, Grangeville, Idaho) Walk-on...two kills and four blocks in win over Oakland...five blocks in 3-2 win over Saint Louis...started in place of ill Jen Barcus for USC and UCLA matches...landed six blocks against No. 17 USC...played in 15 games for 1.13 bpg. #11 Stephanie Weishaar (5-3, L/DS, Fr, Camas, Wash.) Late addition walk-on...played in 48 games as defensive specialist...one ace and 13 digs in 3-1 win over Arizona State.